Lever detent mechanism



Sept. 22, 1931. l H, R, TRAPHAGEN 1,824,515

LEVER DETENT MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 12, 1929 Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITD-fsfrmims oFFicE HARRY RANDALL TRAPH'AGEN, onnocxronn, ILLINOIS, f Assrenoni'ro a. I. CASE conrnnxorjnacmn, wrsconsnrja conrona'rron or wisconsin.

LEVER DETENT isriacrriinvrsirvr 'The present invention, while. susceptible of wider application, is designed more particularly to provide an improved levermechf anism for use inflagricultural implements, as for example, in effecting the adjustment, with respect to the ground, of the soil till` ing devices of cultivators, plows, planters and the like.

' The invention consists in the features of lo novelty hereinafter described,illustratedl in the accompanying-drawings and particularly pointed out in theclaims at the endof this specification. j A y Figure 1 is a view in. end elevation` of a device `embodying my invention, partsbeing shown in vertical sectiongf-` s p Figure 2 is a view inside elevation; p Figure 3 is a detail view upon an enlarged scale, showing partof the segment rack and pawl in engagement therewith; and.A Y

Figure 41 is a detail View Vof thedetent pawl.

In lever` mechanism such as commonly used in agricultural implements, it ishighly desir'able that the-notches of the rack bar that cooperate with the detent pawl of the operating lever shall be soy spaced as to permit a line or close adjustment of the lever, ink order to give to the soil tilling implement,

or like part controlled thereby, exactly the desired position with respect to the ground. Heretofore it has been the practice to provide such operating lever with a spring actu- A ated detent pawl having a single tooth for engagement with the notches of the rack bar, the pawl being provided with suitable means, such as a latch rod, whereby it may be disengaged from the rack. Ordinarily, the

fected without danger of breaking the toolsk or distorting the bar.

y My invention provides lever detent mechanism of such characterthat the notches in 'the rack Vbar may be more widely spaced so `that a heavier bar may be used, while at the same time a line or more delicate adjustmentof the lever mechanism can be attained.

f Referring to the drawings, the rack bar is shown as comprising a segmental portion 5 united` at thebottom by a transverse bar 6, and lin the `periphery of the rack bar 5 are formed the notches 7 with the teeth 8 between them, the crowns of the teeth 8 being preferably iiattened, as shown. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the operating lever 9 is pivoted as at 10 to the base bar 6 of the rack ,the lever'9. kBetween the eye-bolt 14 and av Ypin passing Vthrough the latch rod 13 is. arranged a coil spring 16 that tends `to force the latchr rod normally downward. The

ylower end of the latch rod 13is provided with an offset arm 17 that passes through a vertical slot 18 formed in the lever 9 and through a corresponding slot 19 formed in aj'guard bar 2O that is bolted as at 21 to the lever 9. j

. ,Between the voffsetlower portion 22 of the guard bar 2O and the side of thel lever 9 is placed a detent pawl 23 that is formed withv a plurality of teeth 24 and 25 adapted to engage the notches ofthe segment rack 5.

In'the preferred embodiment of my invention. vthe detent pawl 23 is formed asr shown in the drawings-that is to say, the pawl comprises asingle piece or casting having depending' walls 26 .from which project the llugs or trunnions 27 and28` that pass respectively through the slot 18 of the lever 9 and the slot-19 of the guard bar 20.

Through the detent pawl 23 is formed an oblong slot or opening 29 through which passes the offsetl arm 17 at the lower end of s the latchrod 13, the slot 19 being somewhat flarger'than the arm 17, to permit' the pivotal- 4 so y ' gaged'irom the rack.

relative to each other, i. e., the Vspace between f the teeth 24 and 25 isnot equal to a multiple of the spacebetween the rack teeth, so thatl when one of the teeth 24, for example, is in engagement with the notch'7-Q the rack,

Vthe other tooth 25 of the pawl will not enter the rack teeth, but as shown, will Vbear upon the crown of one of such teeth.

rlhus it will be seen that if the parts be in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the tooth 24 of the detent pawl 23 Ywill be in engagement with one of the notches 7 of the rack, while the tooth 25 will bearruponthe crown of one of the rack teeth. It' now the latch rod 13 be raised by its grip handle 12, against the force oi the spring 16, theoflfset arm 17A of the latch bar will littV the pawl 23 until both its teeth 24 and 25 are disenlf. now the lever 9 be moved towards the right to the position shown in `Eig. 3 of the drawings, and the grip handle 12 be released, the spring 16 will force'the rod 13 and the detent pawli23 downward so as to cause its tooth 25 to enter ya notch 7 of the raclr, while the tooth 24- rises'upon the crown 01' one of the rack teeth. theteeth 211 and 25to successively engage the rack teeth 7, it is necessary to move the pawl only half the distance between adjacentv Hence, while the notches of the rack. uotches7 of the rack are spaced at considerable distance apart, the provision of the V,detent pawl with a plurality of teeth enables as line or close adjustment of the lever to-be effected as if thenotches of the rack werel spaced at half the distance shown.

' Vhile I have described what Iregard as the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the details of construction above set forth may be varied without departure from the scope of the invenf tion.

I claimr as my invention:

1. In lever mechanism of the character described, the combination Vof a notched rack,

a slotted lever, a latchrod, a slotted guard plate carried by said lever, and a detent pawl provided with a plurality of teeth and having pivots within the slots of the lever and guard plate and having an opening to receive an offset part of the latch rod.

2, In lever mechanism of the character described, the combination of anotched rack,

a slotted lever, a spring actuated latch'r'od,

a slotted guard plate carried by said lever, and a detent pawl-provided with depending parts to straddle the rack and with a plul't will be seen that in thus causingv rality of teeth and having pivots within the Islots of the lever and guard plate and having an opening to receive an oset part of the latch rod.

3. In lever mechanism of the character described the combination with a toothed rack and lever of a detent device, said device comprising an integral member having a pair of teeth, the spacebetween,saidteeth not being a multiple of that between the notches on saidl rack, whereby'A only one` of said teeth will 'engage anotch at any time, so that said detent may be shifted a distance less than that between said'notches and means for shifting the detent device with respect to 'retained in engagement therewith.

5. A mechanism as delined in claim 1 wherein said pa'wl has a pair of teeth spaced 'a distance apart which is not a multiple of the space betweenv said'notches, whereby said Vdetent maybe moved a distance less than` the 'space between s aid notches.-

,6., A mechanism as I defined in claim 4 wherein said pawl has a pair of teeth spaced a distance apart which is not a multiple of .the space between said notches, whereby said detentV may be moved a distance less thanthe space between said notches. r v HARRY'RANDALL TRAPIAIAGEN. 

